Railway truck structure



June 1, 1937- E. G. HALLQUIST ET AL 9 RAILWAY TRUCK STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 20, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 a TW 5 i 0117 1/ a, a 0

June 1, 1937.

E. s. HALLQUIST ET AL RAILWAY TRUCK STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 20, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIIIIILI .LIE

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Aflormgy 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 E. G. HALLQUIST ET AL RAILWAY TRUCK STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 20, 1933 June 1, 1937.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 20, v 1955 E. a. HALLQUIST El AL RAILWAY TRUCK STRUCTURE June I, 1937,

Patented June 7 1, 1937 UNITED STATES 2,081,998 RAILWAY TRUoK STRUCTURE Einar G. Hallquist,

Wallingford, and James C.

Travilla, Jr., Philadelphia, Pa., assignors to General Steel Castings Corporation, Granite City, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application November 20, 1933, Serial No. 698,770

19 Claims.

The invention relates to railway rolling stock and more particularly to centering device structure tending to return trucks and superstructure into alignment after their normal relation has been disturbed by curved track or track inequalities or other causes.

Centering devices have been used heretofore utilizing swinging links or rocker bearings, to provide for transverse movement between the truck frame and the truck bolster or other superstructure load carrying member, and utilizing the force of gravity to return the parts to their normal position. If such a device easily accommodates relative transverse movement of the truck frame and the load carrying member, there is a tendency of the superstructure towards nosing or oscillating from side to side of the track, producing heavy lateral thrusts against the rails.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, effective gravity centering device in which the above noted tendency is overcome, and this object is attained by the provision of a dampening device for yieldingly or frictionally resisting the relative lateral movement of the truck frame and the load supporting member carried by the same through a gravity centering device.

Detail objects incidental to this general object will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention in which- Figure 1 is a top view of the major portion of a locomotive four-wheel pilot truck.'

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 3a is a section similar to Figure 3 but shows the positions of the various parts of the truck at full lateral swing of the bolster to one side of the truck.

Figures 4, 5, -a.nd 6 are vertical longitudinal" detail sections taken on the corresponding section lines of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a bottom view of the truck bolster.

Figure B is a top view of a portion of the truck frame only.

Figure 9 is a top view of the central portion of a truck embodying a modified form of the invention.

Figure 10 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line lO-l ll of Figure 12.

Figure 11 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line ll-ll of Figure 9 but does not show the bolster.

Figure 12 is a vertical transverse section take on the line l2-l2 of Figure 9.

Figure 13 is a detail section corresponding to Figure 12 but showing the truck frame only.

Figure 14 is a bottom view of the top wedge block shown in Figure 10.

Figure 15 is an end view of the same wedge block.

Figure 16 is a top view of a portion of the truck frame only as indicated in Figure 9.

Figure 1'7 is a detail top view of the central portion of a truck embodying another modification of the invention. v

Figures 18 and 20 are vertical longitudinal sections taken on the corresponding section lines of Figure 1'7.

Figure 21 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 2l-2l of Figure 17.

Figure 19 is a corresponding detail illustrating the truck frame only.

' The locomotive pilot truck illustrated in Figures 1 to 8 inclusive comprises the usual wheels I and axles 2 provided with journal boxes (omitted for clearer illustration of the other main struc ture) and supporting equalizers 3 from which links 4 support the leaf springs 5 on which the truck frame 6 is supported.

The truck frame includes spaced transoms I and the lower portions of these transoms. are interconnected by integral ties 8. Ties 8 are provided with renewable rocker seats 9 and rockers III are mounted thereon and support the bolster II (in part) through renewable bearings I! having inclined faces l3 resting upon the curved uppef'fac'es H of the rockers. The'rocker arrangement provides for the lateral movement of the bolster in the frame and the contour of the bearing and rocker faces l3 and I4 and the relative locations of the rocker feet l5 determine the amount of gravity resistance which will be offered to the lateral movement of the bolster in the frame. All of the above is well understood construction and in itself does not constitute the present invention. A cross bar l6 extends between'ties 8 and forms a seat, or seats, for a plurality of coiled springs l'l having their axes disposed vertically and provided with an upwardly facing cap l8 preferably covered by a wear plate is.

The bolster fincludes the usual upwardly facing center plate 20 and below the same there is provided a downwardly facing projection 2| pref-- erably equipped with a friction plate 22. Springs ll thrust members I8 and I9 against the downward projection on the bolster and partially support the bolster. Members l8 and 2l,'or their wear plates. l9 and 22 respectively, have sliding contact with each other as the bolster and truck frame move relatively to each other transversely of the vehicle.

Spring cap I8 is provided with a vertical recess at each side, lined with a wear plate 23, to receive a guide block 24 pivoted to the adjacent transom 1 by a bolt 25. Guide blocks 24 prevent lateral movement of the spring cap relative to the truck frame and the pivotal mounting of these blocks facilitates the vertical movement of the spring cap should there be a tendency for the bolster to tilt.

Operation-When the pilot truck wheels reach a curved or irregular piece of track and tend to move transversely of the longitudinal center line of the locomotive as determined by the drivers, still on the straight or tangent track, the truck bolster moves transversely of the truck frame, the rockers being so shaped as to elevate the bolster as the relative transverse movement takes place and such movement will increase the load tion shoes 3| which, in having inclined surfaces on the rockers and decrease the load on the springs l1. As the curvestraightens out, or as the irregularity is passed, and the truck wheels and drivers, and the truck bolster and frame, approach their normal relative positions, the rockers lower the bolster and a portion of their load is transferred back to the springs. Throughout both movements of the bolster and truck frame the members l8 and 2| are oifering frictional resistance to the movement and this resistance is greatest as the bolster and frame approach or depart from their normal position. In other words, the friction mechanism dampens the tendency towards oscillation of the bolster and truck transversely of each other by absorbing a large portion of the energy which otherwise would be absorbed by the rails as lateral resistance, thereby achieving the general object set forth in the introductory part of the specification.

The truck transoms 'I are provided with chafing plates 26 to engage the sides of the rocker bearings l2, and the provision of elements 9, I2, 26, I9, 22, 23, 24, and 25 makes possible the maintenance of the proper interengagement of the different parts of the structure through replacement of these elements from time to time as they are worn down in use.

It is obvious that dampening mechanism for the gravity centeringdevice may be provided in various forms and Figures 9 to 16 illustrate a modification utilizing a similar truck frame and bolster. The frame 28 mounts an open top cage 29 and the floor of the cage has inclined surfaces 30 for supporting the lower faces of fricturn, support a block 32 opposed to the inclined faces 30. Block 32 is thrust upwardly against the depending portion 33 of the bolster by the coiled springs 34 forcing shoes 3| inwardly and being compressed between their seats 35 by means of the bolt 36.

With this arrangement the frictional resistance to the outward movement of the bolster will be less than the frictional resistance to the return movement. The amount of resistance to either movement will depend, of course, upon the angle of contact between the wedge shoes and the cooperating surfaces 30 and 32 and upon the thrust applied to the same by the coiled springs 34.

In the modification shown in Figures 1'? to 21, the general disposition of the friction members and the springs therefor is much the same as in the modification of Figures 9 to 16 but the upper member ofthe spring device is guided in its vertical movements by direct engagement with uides 4| mounted on the transoms 42 instead of being guided by the sides of a cage mounted on the cross bar between the transom ties. This variation in detail does not materially change the functioning of shoes 43 and springs 44 and the cooperating member 45 on the bar 46, all of which function as the similar members previously described. Pivotally mounted block similar to 24, Figure 1, may be used-in place of guides 4|, if desired.

Other variations in the construction of the friction device may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention which contemplates the provision of dampening mechanism for reducing the tendency of the truck frame and the structure it supports to oscillate relative to each other because of the support of the latter upon the former by means of a gravity centering device. The exclusive use of such modifications as come within the scope of the claims is contemplated'.

What is claimed is:

1. In a railway truck, a frame structure, a load carrying structure movable laterally thereof, a gravity centering device between said structures and partially supporting said carrying structure, and mechanism for dampening the relative oscillation of said structures, said mechanism partially supporting said carrying structure.

2. In a railway truckcentering device, a supporting structure, a rocker mounted thereon, a load carrying structure resting on said rocker for lateral movement relative to said supporting structure, and interengaging elements on said structures partially supporting said load carrying structure .and yieldingly resisting said lateral movement.

3. In a railway truck centering device, a supporting structure, a rocker mounted thereon, a load carrying structure resting on said rocker for lateral movement relative to said supporting structure, and members on said structures partially supporting said load carrying structure and slidably 'interengaging each other to frlctionally resist said lateral movement.

4. In a railway truck centering device, a supporting structure, a rocker mounted thereon, a load carrying structure resting on said rocker for lateral movement relative to said supporting structure, and spring means on one of said structures yieldingly resisting said lateral movement and yieldingly supporting said load carrying structure. 7

5. In a railway truck centering device, a supporting structure, a rocker mounted thereon, a load carrying structure resting on said rocker for lateral movement relative' to said supporting structure, opposed friction members on said structures, and spring means thrusting said members against each other and thereby frlctionally resisting said lateral movement and partially supporting said load carrying structure.

6. In a railway truck, a truck frame member, a rocker mounted thereon, a load carrying member resting on said rocker, upwardly and downwardly facing friction elements on said members respectively, and a spring thrusting said elements together, said rocker raising said load carrying member as the latter moves transversely of said frame member, whereby the thrust of said spring is decreased as said members move away from their normal relative position and is increased and members on said structures slidable over each other transversely during rocking movements, one of said members being movable vertically relative to the structure on which it is mounted, there being a guide element on the corresponding structure preventing relative lateral movement of the member thereon.

8. In a railway truck, a frame, an incompressible centering device rocker and a vertically com-' pressible spring structure separately mounted on said frame, and a superstructure carrying member mounted on said rocker and spring structure.

9. In a railway truck frame, transverse structure provided with an upwardly facing rigid seat for a centering device rocker for partially supporting the frame load and with an upwardly facing seat for a spring device for partially supporting the frame load.

10. In a railway truck frame, transverse structure provided with spaced upwardly facing seats for centering device rockers which partially support the truck load and facilitate its lateral movement, and provided with an upwardly facing seat intermediate saidrocker seats for a friction device which partially supports the truck load and resists its lateral movement.

11. A railway truck bolster having a downwardly facing rocker bearing and a downwardly facing friction device plate at the side of said bearing. the bolster being arranged to transmit its load to said bearing and plate.

12. A railway truck bolster having spaced downwardly facing rocker bearings and a downwardly facing friction device plate intermediate said bearings, the bolster being arranged to transmit its load to said bearing and plate.

13. In combination, a railway truck frame, a gravity centering device mounted thereon, a bolster carried by said device, and dampening mechanism for said device and bolster comprising opposed members movable relative to. each other when said device is operating, said members having inclined faces, and friction wedge elements having spring induced engagement with .said inclined faces, said device and mechanism each directly supporting said bolster.

14. In a railway truck, a tram a gravity centering device mounted thereon, a load supporting structure resting directly on said device, a

cage on said frame, and a spring friction wedge device mounted in said cage and, including a yieldingly supported member projecting upwardly therefrom and directly engaging said structure.

15. In a railway truck, a frame including spaced transoms. depending ties connecting adjaeent ends of said transoms, centering device rockers mounted on said ties, a cross bar between said ties and-a centering device dampening mechanism mounted on said cross bar and including upper and lower blocks having opposing inclined faces, wedges frictionally engaging said faces and springs extending longitudinally of the truck and thrusting said wedges towards each other and along the inclined faces of said blocks, and a truck bolster resting upon the upper of said blocks and said rockers.

tive movement of saidelements, there being means automatically decreasing the frictional resistance offered by said mechanism as said elements move away from said normal position.

18. In combination, a railway truck gravity centering device including cooperating elements having a normal relative position and movable from said position under certain track conditions, and friction mechanism yieldingly resisting relative movement of said elements, there being means automatically increasing the frictional resistance offered by said mechanism as said elements move towards their normal position.

19. In combination, a railway truck gravity centering device including cooperating elements having a normal relative position and movable from said position under certain track conditions, and friction mechanism yieldingly resisting relative movement of said elements, there being means automatically decreasing the resistance offered by said mechanism as said elements move away from said normal position and increasing the frictional resistance offered thereby as said elements move towards said normal position.

JAMEs c. TRAVILLA, JR. EIINAR a. namours'r. 

